‘Unfortunate’ detail in killer boyfriend case
A Victorian judge has bemoaned “most unfortunate” delays as the man who murdered Ellie Price awaits sentencing.
Ricardo Barbaro, 37, was found guilty of murdering Ms Price in September last year following a month-long trial in Victoria’s Supreme Court.
The 26-year-old mum’s body was discovered in her South Melbourne apartment more than four years earlier on May 4, 2020, with investigators believing she had been stabbed to death about five days earlier.
Barbaro’s trial, the third he faced after two previous attempts were aborted, was told he was captured on CCTV footage leaving the apartment in Ms Price’s car early on April 29.
He was eventually arrested in NSW after going on the run.
Barbaro returned to court on Thursday for a mention as his lawyer said they were still waiting on a neuropsychological report they hoped would be handed over on Friday.
But the forensic psychologist, Carla Ferrari, was on leave, the court was told, and would not be back until late September.
This could force a presentence hearing scheduled next week to be adjourned if prosecutors seek to cross-examine Ms Ferrari on the content of the report.
Justice Stephen Kaye described the almost year-long period since a guilty verdict was returned as “most unfortunate”, saying he hoped next week’s hearing could proceed as planned.
“It really is time for closure, particularly for the victim's family – it really has been enough,” he said.
The court was told Ms Price’s family, including mother Tracey Gangell and sister Danielle Price, planned to travel from Tasmania and had previously been forced to reschedule.
The court was told much of the delay was attributed to the time it takes to prepare an expert report and the sudden retirement of trial judge Lex Lasry in February.
Justice Lasry’s decision came after he was told Victorian Director of Public Prosecutions Kerri Judd had formally complained over a ruling he made connected to the Eastern Freeway crash that killed four police officers in 2020.
He rejected the complaint, which was dropped by the Judicial Commission after his retirement.
At trial, Barbaro’s barrister labelled the case a “whodunit” and sought to frame brothel owner Mark Gray as an alternative suspect the police failed to investigate.
Prosecutors, on the other hand, said Mr Gray was a hapless romantic who was in denial about being Ms Price’s sugar daddy.
Barbaro is expected to return to court on September 6.
